Lubricant system of control for automobile engines



Sept-26,1950V R. v BARKLEY 4 l 2,523,937

.LUBRICAHT #SYSTEM oF, 10N-mor. FOR AUT-eMolLE ENGINES Filed Aug. 17..1948 y Y '2 Sheets-Sheet l .3 2 a 7'0 cA/Qz/Rfrofe 3,12 v6 35 27 vGASOzlA/' "u 36 l0 7 3 2 5. I v )38 "37 j T 'ze s 1,".

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LUBRICAN'T SYsmr oF CON'I'Ro-L,oR.V AUTOMOBILE ENGINES Fired Aug. iv..1948 2 sheets-sheet 2 35 .l 26 l l@ Uff/M! Agil j! 36 l l PatentedSept. 26, 195()Y LUBRICANT SYSTEM OF CONTROL FOR AUTOMOBILEYENGINESRobert Y. Barkley, Weeins, Va.. Application August 17, 1948, Serial No.44,703

This invention relates to an improved locking and safety device forautomobiles, and more particularly to a locking and safety deviceoperated by fluid pressure furnished by the conventional pressurelubricating system of the engine.

An object of the invention is to associate the pressure lubricatingsystem of an automobile engine with the conventional ignition switch andwith a pressure operated valve interposed in the fuel supply conduit tothe engine so that when locked not only will the ignition bedisconnected,

but the valve in the fuel supply conduit will be closed, therebypreventing the starting of the -engine even though the ignition wires betransposed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device associated withthe conventional ignition switch lock of an automobile, utilizing the'pressure of the lubricating system, which willl provide throughout theoperation of the engine a correlation between the pressure lubricatingsystem and the fuel supply, whereby any failure of pressure in thelubricating system will automatically stop the ilow of fuel to theengine, thus preventing the damaging of the engine by operation withinadequate lubrication.

A further object of the invention is to provide means associating aconventiona1 switch lock with key ejectng means operated by pressuresupplied from the lubricating system of the eny gine which willautomatically eject the lock operating key when turned to its off switchpo- ,the present invention shown partly in cross secltion to disclosethe operative parts with the lock operating key and other parts shown inthe on or operative switch position;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2;-2 of Figure `1; i

, Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1, but showing the lock in offswitch position with the lock operating key ejected and the other partsin corresponding position; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig- 1 Claim. (Cl. 12S-198) 2ure 3, but shown immediately after ejection of the key.

Referring to the drawings which are largely diagrammatic for the purposeof illustrating the application of the present invention to anautomobile engine, the engine and other parts of the car except a smallportion of the dashboard being ornmitted, a conventional tumblercontrolled ignition lock L` is applied as usual to the dashboard D, thelock including a rotary plug member P and being associated with theignition system by a wire I, the rotary plug member P having a suitablekey slot to accommodate the operative key K which is formed to cooperatewith the usual tumblers T and the like also embracing suitablemechanical means, well known in the art, for mechanically preventingtheY withdrawal o'f the key K while the rotary plug P is turned to .itson or operative position. The lock structure thus far referred to isall. conventional and in common use, and is not further illustrated.

In accordance with the present invention the rotary plug member P isformed with a rearward extension l projecting from the lock housing andhaving its far end formed as a conical valve member 2, which valvemember 2 is formed with a transverse through-passage 9 adjacent its farend, which passage communicates with an axial bore 3 adapted toaccommodate a piston .plunger Il herein illustrated as having an innerhead 5 adapted to cooperate with a head 20 `formed on a key ejectorplunger 2| vwhich eX- tends through a suitable slot 22 formed in the.rotary plug P in alignment with the key slot, whereby the key K uponreciprocation of the ejector plunger 2l may be ejected from the lock.Interposed .between the heads 5 and 2|] is a compression spring 5adapted to hold said heads .suiliciently apart to cause piston 4 toclose .bleeder vent I8. The valve member 2 is further formed with aradially directed passage I6 extending from its periphery to communicatewith the through transverse passage 9 and with a .radially directed ventpassage I8 communicat- `ing with fthe axial bore 3 (see Figure 3), torel-ieveiluid pressure'from the end of piston plunger 4 at the extremityof its stroke, this radial relief passage VIl) communicating with anexterior groove Il formed in the valve member 2 and ex-` tending fromthe mouth of said radial passagev I8 to communicate with the engine sideoi thelubricant conduit hereinafter described.

The conical valve member 2 is adapted to seat, in a suitable conicalvalve seat 'l formed in a.

in the head 33 to avoid any possible leakage of the lubricant from thehousing 8.

The housing 8 is further formed with transverse, aligned passages I3 inalignment withthe through passage 9 in the valvemember 2, whichtransverse passages lil extend through outwardly projecting nipplebosses II formed on the housing 8 to accommodate and permit theclinching thereon of the ends of conduit members I3 and I5. The conduitmember I3 is a shunt pipe which extends to the lubricating 'system onthe pump or pressure end thereof, while the conduit I extends to apressure operated valve 25, the housing of which is herein illustratedas substantially of T-shape, having aligned arms 29 provided with means35 for connecting same into the fuel supply conduit 21, these arms beingprovided with a through bore to form a continuation of said fuelconduit. In the oppositely disposed arms is formed a valve bore toaccommodate a sliding valve 28 connected as by a narrow pin 39 withpressure head 29 adapted to be acted upon by liquid pressure suppliedthereto through the conduit I5. A suitable shoulder 3l is provided inthe valve housing to limit the stroke of the valve member 28 and itsassociated pressure head 29, and a compression spring 32 is arranged tobear against the valve member 28 and a containing cap 33 so as toinitially and normally bias the valve member 28 into closed i' positionwith respect to the fuel conduit. Upon application of fluid pressure tothe exposed face of :pressure head 29, the valve member is raisedagainst the pressure of spring 32 to open the fuel conduit, as isillustrated in Figure 1. When the iiuid pressure falls below a safeoperating pressure, the compression spring 32 forces valve 28 into a.position to close the fuel conduit, as is illustrated in Figure 3. Thisvariation in the fluid pressure exerted through conduit |15 may beoccasioned either by a clogging or failure of the lubricating pump orsystem during normal operation of the engine, in which event the engineIwill stop for lack of fuel before any damage can be done, or thispressure can be released by the -turning of the rotary lock plug P` andthe valve 2 to close the passages Ii) through valve housing 8, 4as alsoillustrated in Figure 3, which closing of the passages I0 excludes fluidpressure from -conduit I5, vhile at the same time conduit I5communicates with the axial bore 3 in valve 2 through the radial passageIG, which in the off position of the rotary lock plug P is directedtoward the conduit I5. In this Aposition the pressure of spring 32forces valve 28 into closed position, shutting off the supply of fuel tothe engine and at the same time forces the lubricant contained in theconduit I5 backwardly through that conduit and against the head ofpiston plunger 4, thereby forcing said plunger 4 from the position shownin Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 3, compressing spring 5' andat the same time forcing the key ejecting plunger 2l to eject the key Kwhich is possible in view of the lock construction permitting theremoval of the key when the lock is in locked position. When the key isthus ejected, spring 5 returns head 5 and plunger `ri to a positionwhere plunger l!- closes bleeder passage I8, thus blocking any fiuidIpressure to conduit I5 even in the event 'that the ignition system issurreptitiously reestablished. Upon re-insertion of the key to unlockthe engine, the plunger 2| is forced inwardlyrby the key, therebyforcing pressure plunger 4 to the left, .and the parts are in positionfor a repeat operation.

Modifications in the particular shapes and mechanical arrangements ofthe various parts will readily suggest themselves to those skilled intheart, and it will be understood that the valve' 8 can be connected by theconduit I3 to any suitable part of the lubricating system on the pumpside of the valve, while the conduitv I5 can be extended to anydesirable position in the automobile or to the carburetor itself, wherethe fuel control valve 25 can be located. Such variations will bedesirable as uniformity in the application of the device is notdesirable.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

In association with an automobile engine having a fuel conduit and apressure lubricating system, a safety device comprising a pressure valvein the fuel conduit, a shunt pipe connecting the Ypressure valve to theconduit of the lubricating system and a lock controlled valve in saidshunt pipe, said lock valve comprising a rotary key plug formed with arotary valve extension and having a key slot including a guideway for akey ejecting plunger, a key ejecting plunger recipro'cable in theguideway, said Valve extension having a transverse passage and an axialbore communicating with said transverse passage, a piston in the axialbore arranged to engage and operate the key ejecting plunger, a valvehousing having a bore for the'rotary valve and a passage in alignmentwith the transverse passage in the valve member, means associating saidpassage with opposed portions of the shunt pipe,` said rotary valve partformed with a bleeder conduit arranged to communicate the axial bore ofthe valve part at the end of the operative stroke-of thepiston to theshunt pipe and relieve the pressure against the fuel pressure valve.

ROBERT Y. BARKLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ie ofthispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Jan. 16, 1931

